


Out of Routines

by cyberdigi



Series: Butterfly Series [7]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Ianto Jones: Immortal, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-21
Updated: 2013-04-21
Packaged: 2017-12-09 01:32:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/768424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberdigi/pseuds/cyberdigi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For my <a href="http://cybgis-corner.livejournal.com/10007.html">Long Live Ianto Bingo</a> space <b>Habits & Routines</b> Ianto discovers there was some paper left out when someone was fired</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of Routines

Jack was about to close down the Hub for the night and pamper Ianto. It had not been the best day; they’d only been able to save one boy from the Night Travelers. And they would have lost Owen, if not for Tosh’s timely arrival to distract the Ghostmaker and the ability of both to run very fast.

He’d sent Ianto home a few hours ago, followed by the others about an hour ago. Ianto was taking it hard that he’d only been able to save the one child and that this child was now left orphaned.

The lights dimmed more as he initiated the last of the shut down protocols, and he was about to leave for the night when he saw a light in one of the side rooms Ianto sometimes used to presort artifacts for the archives. Slowly, Jack approached and peered in.

Seated there, staring at his empty hands, was Ianto, looking like he had the world on his shoulders and had just fumbled it.

“Hey, you okay?” Jack asked as he slowly eased behind his lover, putting his hands on his tense shoulders.

“I had them in my hands and I let them slip away, Jack,” Ianto said with a dejected sigh.

Feeling Ianto’s shoulders tense more under his hands, Jack started to massage them.

His hands moved in a slow, comforting rhythm as he answered his lover, “That wasn’t your fault. The Ghostmaker attacked you to take their breaths back; there wasn’t anything you could have done differently short of growing wings, which, let me tell you, is not easy even with the right tech.”

“It’s just that…” Ianto paused and Jack quietly continued massaging his shoulders while he waited for him to continue. “It’s just that, that little boy is alone now and I feel like I should have done something more.”

Jack sighed and said, “Hey, let’s move this conversation somewhere a bit more comfortable.” 

He guided his lover to the nearby couch Ianto kept in the room in case a nap was needed.

After he seated himself next to Ianto, he held Ianto’s hands in his and waited for Ianto to meet his eyes.

“That’s kinda the problem with this job. We get so used to almost _always_ saving everyone or saving almost everyone, it becomes the routine. Then we have the times when we don’t save the majority, where we only save one, and it feels like we failed. But Ianto, we--  
 _you_ \--still saved that one and that’s still just as important as saving everyone. Because as hard as it is to just save the one, there still might be a time when we can save none.”

Ianto’s tear-filled eyes bored into his before he answered, “You’re right, I know you’re right, but damn it! It still feels like I should have been able to do more!”

Jack thought for a moment. “Maybe, maybe not; it’s impossible to tell now. Personally, I don’t think so, but this isn’t necessarily a bad feeling, Ianto.”

His lover gave him a confused look.

He smiled as he continued, “It means you still care. As long as a person cares, that person will do everything they can to save as many as they can. Sometimes that will mean everyone, and sometimes that will mean only one. That’s why I think—no, I _know_ —you couldn’t have done anything more.”

Jack pulled Ianto close before continuing, “As small it is, saving one is still a victory. So we take the time to celebrate the one we did save, time to mourn those we weren’t able to save, and hope next time our everything is enough to save everyone.

As he finished, Ianto started to cry his grief. Jack just held him and murmured in his ear as he rocked him.


End file.
